The effect of surface contact on the pressure distribution and deflection of airless tires

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the effects of inclination angles of the road surface on pressure distribution and deflection of the airless tire/non-pneumatic tire (NPT) structures. This research adopted the modeling designed with the Abaqus® software. The research validation was made comparing the simulation result with actual airless tire experiments which was previously carried out by airless tire manufacturers. The variations served to adjust with the angle of the road slope and weights. The effects of the variations in slope and weight resulted in the changes in pressure distribution and deflection of spokes of the airless tires. Besides, the changes in the geometry of the airless tire also contributed to the changes in pressure distribution and deflection of spokes. This study showed that a greater value of the inclination angle and weights directly correlated with the magnitude of pressure distribution and deflection of the airless tire. The changes in airless tire geometry also occurred significantly.